The Splendid Spur

busy with the words I had heard. Nor, on the morrow, did it fair any better with me: so that, at rhetoric lecture, our president-Dr. Ralph Kettle-took me by the e

e moral for us. But even a rhetoric lecture must have an end, and so, tossing my gown to the porter, I set off a

wall when a brisk shower of hail and sleet drove me to shelter in the Pig Market ( or Proscholium) before the Divinity School. '

ith many of the first ladies and gentlemen of England, as the Prince Maurice, the lords Andover, Digby and Colepepper, my lady Thynne, Mistress Fanshawe, Mr. Secretary Nicholas, the famous Dr. Harvey, arm-in-arm with my lord Falkland (whose boots were splash'd with mud, he having ridden over from his house

failed man, woman, nor child, unless the heart were clean drown'd in the disease: the le

I heard a stir in the crowd behind me, and

that he carried. The baskets were piled with books, clothes, and gewgaws of all kinds; and 'twas the young gentleman that hawked his wares himself. "What d'ye lack?" he kept shouting

im. For by his curls and womanish face, no less than the amber cloak with the bl

e worked his way through the press, selling here and there a tri

he 'History of Saint George,'" and he picked out a thin brown quarto and held it up; "written by Master Peter Heylin

ar, I perceive. Let me

nd in my pocket, and drew out the shillings, I said very slowly, loo

e dice: and my shilling, no doubt, is

the lips; then clapped his hand to his sword, wi

aster Scholar: but art in

ke to have replied and raised a brawl. My own meddling tongue had br

Saint George," when my fingers were aware of a slip of paper between the pages.

or bleading me, 1s. 0d.; for ye King's speech, 3d.; for spic'd wine (with Marjory), 2s. 4d.; for seeing ye Rhinoceros, 4d.; at ye Ranter-go-r

so

ut also to see that monstrous item of L17 odd spent on the dice. 'Twas such a boy, too, after all, that I was angry with, that had spent fourpence to see the rhinoceros at a fair, and rode on t

counting up his money, and

said I, "this

it, and eyeing me. "Is there anyt

maybe, if your

sir; now serving under Lord Bernard St

vel," said I. - "Of t

hat good stock, transplanted to Cu

he politely; "I shall be pro

full of laughter at this childish punc

r than ever-"you are going a cu

e at once: but hardly had come to the meeting of the two

my lodgings. He's a long-ear'd dog that I am saving from the gallows for so long as my conscience allows

o the Trinity Grove, where, walking up and down, I

f you have any such enemy as this whi

sucking in his lips a

he began: "but n

"Jack," he cried;-"I'll call thee Jack-'twas an honest good turn thou hadst in thy heart

wer'd I. - "Now, say no

of the foreigner in his brisk graceful ways-yet not unpleasing. I was going to say

you had better be co

he trunk of an elm, twirl'd an end of his long lovelocks, and looked at me

ery proper young man-such as I should loat

d thy good offices. Hark ye," he lean'd forward and glanc'd to right and left, "if these twain int

hy is

esty to the Army of the West, where I have friends, for my father's sake-Sir Deakin Kil

thy father

wedding a poor woman without his consent. And in France was I born and bred, and came to England two years agone; and this last July the old curmudgeon died. So that my father, who was an only son, is even now in England

ge, and carried off my father, the Vicar, and my dear mother. Yet his simple words spoke to my heart and woke so tender a yearning for the

y the King's letter. Not one in four of his messengers come

. To-night I

-ni

or my revenge, and ride st

to the 'Crown,'" I c

and look'd me in the face, his m

u shalt Jac

on," said I, and k

o-night. I lodge over Master Simon's, the glover, and must be about my

the grove, his amber cloak flaunting like a belated butterf